For those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar, today is Epiphany, the commemoration of the magi visiting baby Jesus. In English tradition, Epiphany is the day after the twelve days of Christmas, and the day after the Twelfth Night, immortalized by the Shakespeare play.
Epiphany is traditionally the gift giving day in several cultures, because it was the magi who brought gifts. Children traditionally set out shoes with hay for the magi’s camels on Twelfth Night, and on Epiphany morning, the shoes are filled with small gifts.
The word epiphany means a sudden revelation or understanding. As a teacher, I love to witness those special lightbulb moments when a student all of a sudden understands something life-changing. Epiphanies are life-changing, because they can change the way we have always thought about something. This can be painful sometimes, but also wonderful.
I wish us all a year of epiphanies!
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